


Hazy Shade of Winter

by what_a_gust



Category: Women's Soccer RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-30
Updated: 2020-03-21
Packaged: 2020-07-26 00:16:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 8,490
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20034691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/what_a_gust/pseuds/what_a_gust
Summary: This is a re-post from "Love You, Mean It" of just the hsau chapters plus anything new in this verse.





	1. Forget-Me-Not (prologue)

**Author's Note:**

> This is a re-post from "Love You, Mean It" of just the hsau chapters plus anything new in this verse.

Christen peers into her locker with the nagging feeling that she’s forgetting something but she has no idea what it could be. She lets the strap of her backpack drop off her right shoulder and swings it around to the left so that she can double-check that she has all the notebooks and folders she needs for her morning classes.

Just as she’s zipping it back up, she feels a tap on her right shoulder. She spins around, letting the bag fall to the floor at her feet.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, babe!” Tobin leans in to kiss her while shoving a bouquet of roses into her arms. “And, happy two year anniversary of our first kiss,” Tobin adds, punctuating each word with a kiss.

Christen’s smile being as wide as her face and Tobin’s talking mean the kisses are mostly their teeth clanging against each other but they’re far too enamored to care, especially at 7:55am on a school day.

Christen secures the roses in one arm and then wraps the other around Tobin’s neck to keep her close. “Thank you, Toby. You’re so sweet to me.”

Tobin rolls her eyes, “Chris, you know I hate when you call me that,” she whines. But Christen gives her the saddest puppy-dog eyes and pouts her lips just so and Tobin _has_ to kiss her again.

“But I’m cute so it’s okay,” Christen says against Tobin’s lips.

Tobin shrugs and hands Christen the card she’d been holding, “Can’t argue with that, now can I?”


	2. Spin-the-Bottle

The team won their second-to-last indoor tournament for the winter and, as captain, Christen felt like it was her responsibility to invite everyone over to celebrate. She wasn’t really in the mood for celebrating though. She had missed a sitter and hit two off the crossbar. The goal she scored in the 83′ wasn’t so much her as the keeper being out of position.

But her team won. And they were happy. So she plastered on a smile and strode over to the bleachers to ask her parents, and announce to the others, that there would be pizza at her house if they wanted to come.

//

An hour and a half later, her teammates start arriving freshly showered (many of them with their hair still dripping wet despite the cold early-February temperature) and ravenously hungry.

She’s sitting at the kitchen counter with a few of her teammates, the others stand leaning against it, when she hears her dad barge through the front door.

“Pizza, pizza, pizza! In the dining room, Lady Lions!” he calls out and they rush into the next room, scrambling for plates and napkins on the way.

//

Once all the girls are stuffed, Christen forces herself to get up and throw the trash away. She takes her time in the kitchen, appreciating the quiet, though she can still hear her friends laughing and groaning through the open doorway.

She’s startled out of her reverie when she feels an elbow to her side.

“You okay, Cap?”

Christen’s cheeks burn, she tells herself its because she’s startled. Not because Tobin’s impish smile always seems to get her. No, definitely not that.

“Oh, yeah, I - I’m fine. Just a long day.”

“Want me to tell everyone to text their parents that it’s time for pick-up?”

Christen thinks about it for a moment but she knows that as soon as they leave she’s going to cry about the game, no matter what anyone tell her about how well she did, and she decides she wants to put off the inevitable, at least for the time being.

“No, it’s okay. I really am fine. Why don’t we all go downstairs? We can play a board game or something?”

Tobin laughs and Christen’s cheeks feel warm again. Because Tobin’s making fun of her. Not because Tobin has the most endearing laugh she’s ever heard. No, definitely not that.

“Didn’t know there were 20-player board games, Christen! Have you been holding out on me?”

“Oh, whatever, it was just a suggestion,” Christen mumbles, “I’m gonna go down and turn on the lights and make sure it’s not too messy, can you tell everyone else to come when they’re ready? Please?” She turns away before Tobin can respond.

//

First, they play team Scrabble, but even with 5 people on each “team” it’s too much thinking for a Sunday evening.

Then, they try Twister but they’re tired and sore so it stops being fun after a couple of turns.

They play Never-Have-I-Ever for a while but none of them have done very much so the game fizzles out after a few rounds of very targeted play.

“How about Truth-or-Dare?” someone offers.

Quickly, another teammate counters, “I think we should play Spin-the-Bottle!”

“Of course you do! You’re just salty you lost Never-Have-I-Ever because you’ve never kissed a girl!” the advocate for Truth-or-Dare mocks.

Christen really doesn’t want to play either game. At all. But the whole team is laughing and seems excited and someone manages to find a bottle. So, all too quickly, the team is gathered in a circle and the game begins.

At first, it’s is rather uneventful and Christen is completely uninvolved. Her teammates howl with laughter as they play, enjoying the silliness that abounds.

Suddenly, it grows quiet. She looks up and realizes that Tobin is crawling across the circle towards her. _Please let it not be me. Please let it not be me._ She repeats over and over again in her head until she has no choice but to accept her fate.

“Hi,” Tobin whispers, her smile charming as ever.

Christen gulps, “hey.”

“I’m gonna kiss you now.”

Christen nods and Tobin leans in.

Then, before it even really begins, it’s over. Tobin is pulling away. She moves back to where she was sitting and sends Christen a quick wink.

Christen’s hand moves up to her lips involuntarily, her fingers brush across them but all she feels is the phantom tickle of Tobin’s breath.

“Cap! C’mon! You’re taking too long! Spin the bottle already!” one of her teammates shouts.

She shakes her head in an effort to dislodge the confusion that won’t go away and then takes her turn, unsure if she wants the bottle to land on Tobin or not.

No, definitely not.

Well, maybe.


	3. Baby, It's Cold Outside

This time, when they win, the sun is out. The appearance of a beautiful day is deceiving because the bitter cold is bone chilling even when the sun is high in the sky.

None of the girls care though. They’re just happy that they get to end the winter season on a high note.

As soon as the coach finishes congratulating them and reminding them that they have to train on their own during the break before spring training starts, half of the team runs off. It is Valentine’s Day after all and they have dinner dates to get to. The girls on the team who are single walk more slowly, in no rush to get home to dinner with their parents.

Christen is about to get in her car when Tobin calls her name.

“Chris! You wanna come over? Kelley and Al and everyone else are! I was thinking of asking my parents if I could use the hot tub and I know how much you like the warmth?”

She considers it for a moment because she probably should get home to finish her homework but Tobin’s smile is shining almost as bright as the sun so she finds herself agreeing to go, against her better judgement.

//

She ends up driving half of the girls that Tobin invited so that their parents can head straight home and she sings along as they blast ridiculous music that Kelley is choosing as a privilege of having called shot-gun.

When they get to Tobin’s, Jeff is playing basketball in the driveway so a bunch of the girls join him but Christen goes inside. She hates the cold.

She takes her shoes and coat off by the door and then makes her way back into the kitchen where Tobin is pouring a giant bag of chicken nuggets onto a sheet tray.

“Are you making dinner?”

Tobin looks up and laughs, “Well, I’m trying to but they’re all stuck together! Can you help me pull them apart?”

Once again, Christen finds herself unable to resist Tobin’s bright smile and pleading eyes. So, even though she hates the cold, she gets to work prying the frozen nuggets apart.

//

Dinner ends with Tobin sending everyone to wash their hands while she gets the hot tub set up. Kelley had dared Alex to see how much ketchup she could get on one nugget which started a competition and soon half the girls had very sticky, ketchup covered hands that even Tobin knew were too gross for the hot tub.

They slowly make their way outside and peel off their uniforms so that they’re left in their spandex and sports bras.

“Hurry up and get that thing going, Tobin! It’s freezing, my nips are gonna fall off,” Kelley howls.

Tobin grumbles, trying to find the switch to turn the jets on, “Can you just wait like 5 seconds Kel, or help me maybe?”

Christen walks to the far side of the tub, still wearing her sweatshirt, and flips the switch. “There ya go,” she offers with a shy smile.

“Thanks, Chris! See Kelley, at least someone on this team knows how to be a good friend.” Tobin looks over at Christen and tosses her a wink.

Even though it’s a compliment, Christen’s heart sinks in her chest. The reminder that Tobin wants to be friends rings loud and clear. Their kiss during spin-the-bottle was nothing, just part of a game.

//

After only 20 minutes or so in the hot tub, most of the girls get bored and go inside in search of a snack. But Christen stays outside. She likes the warmth and she isn’t hungry; she can’t quite get her nerves to settle – being so close to Tobin so close to naked is a lot.

Tobin starts to get follow the pack inside but turns back to see Christen firmly in her spot.

“You’re not coming in?”

Christen shakes her head no and before she can start to explain Tobin is slipping back in.

“I’d rather stay out here too.”

Christen looks at her, eyes wide, “You would?”

“Mhmm,” Tobin nods, “I’m happy wherever you are.”

Christen’s heart beats faster in her chest and she feels her face getting warm. Then, suddenly, Tobin is sliding around the bench to sit next to her.

“You okay, Chris?”

“Uh, yeah,” Christen’s voice gets stuck in her throat as she answers.

Tobin looks at her quizzically, as though she doesn’t quite believe her. “Is it okay that I kissed you last week? During the game, I mean?”

Christen can’t tell because they’re underwater but she’s pretty sure her palms are getting sweaty. And when she answers, her voice squeaks with tension, “Yeah, it’s fine.”

Tobin is staring at her with something that looks a lot like hunger in her eyes. “Would it be okay if I kissed you again?” Tobin breaks eye contact to look around and make sure that they’re alone. “Now?”

Christen knows she won’t be able to make her voice work so she just nods and closes her eyes and hopes with all her might that Tobin takes that as enough of a yes.

//

She waits and it feels like forever. But then, it’s happening. Tobin is kissing her. On the lips. With her lips. And Christen’s heart leaps in her chest.

Tobin pulls back and they open their eyes, looking at each other and feeling bashful.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Chris. Can I kiss you again?”

This time, it’s Christen who leans in. Happy Valentine’s Day indeed.


	4. You've Been on My Mind

Christen can’t stop smiling. She’s so happy that she even smiles in her sleep. She wakes up in the morning and her cheeks are sore from smiling all night.

Tobin likes her. And wants to kiss her. It’s only happened twice (three times if you count spin-the-bottle, which she definitely doesn’t). But that’s so much more than Christen even ever let herself imagine. So, any time Tobin crosses her mind, her face breaks out in a huge grin. And since Tobin occupies all of her thoughts, that means there’s always a smile on her face.

//

They see each other at school and they talk in the hall between classes. They also start texting a lot more than they used to. Christen doesn’t go anywhere, even the bathroom, without her phone anymore.

Christen’s sisters tease her mercilessly but she’s too wrapped up in Tobin to notice, let alone be bothered.

//

The first time Christen’s smile dims it’s Wednesday just after lunch. She realizes, all of a sudden, that she won’t see Tobin over the weekend because they don’t have soccer.

Her thoughts are interrupted by her phone buzzing in her hand.

[Tobin]:_ hey! u do ur hw in advance, right?_

[Christen]: _yeah, usually, why do you ask?_

She answers as she walks to her English class. By the time she gets there, Tobin still hasn’t answered so she tucks her phone away and pulls out her notes and her copy of Pride and Prejudice.

She tries her best to be attentive, she really does. But thinking about Mr. Darcy and Lizzie just makes her daydream about Tobin and there’s nothing she can do to stop it.

By the time the bell finally rings to signal that class is over, Christen’s notebook page is filled with little hearts and Tobin’s name written a bunch of different ways. When she realizes what she’s done she tears the page out forcefully and shoves it to the bottom of her bag where it won’t embarrass her the next time she goes to take notes.

She pulls her phone out as soon as she’s in the hall and is relieved to see a notification.

[Tobin]: _my fam is going skiing this weekend so i wanna get my bio lab report done but im so bad at not procrastinating_

[Tobin]: _can you come over after school to help?_

[Tobin]: _please!_

Christen laughs as she swings her backpack around to her front so that she can check her planner.

[Christen]: _Sure! Did you drive today or do you need a ride?_

Tobin answers almost immediately.

[Tobin]: _Katie drove me here but I’d rather ride home w u_

//

When Christen arrives at her car after the last bell, Tobin is leaning against the driver’s side door. Christen unlocks it when she’s still a few yards away so Tobin pulls the door open for her and then runs around to the other side so she can get in.

“So chivalrous,” Christen teases as she climbs into the car.

Tobin winks at her and bows in her seat, “I know how to treat a lady!”

The ride to Tobin’s house is short; they trade stories back and forth about their days. Tobin has a lot of complaints about her math teacher but she really likes the art class she’s in. Christen mentions that she had trouble taking notes in a few of her classes but doesn’t admit that Tobin is the reason why.

As soon as they get inside, Tobin throws open the refrigerator to find something for them to snack on. She pulls out a bunch of stuff and puts it on the table and then goes to the pantry to get more.

Christen is kind of taken aback, “Are more people coming over? Or is that all for you?”

“Whenever I make anything, Jeff and Perry always steal it, no matter what it is, so I make a lot to make sure that I have enough before they get to it. They’re so annoying,” Tobin answers way more seriously than Christen was expecting.

“Oh, in that case, let me help.”

They end up making eggs, tater tots, bacon, and toast. And, just as Tobin predicted, right when they sit down to eat, Jeff shows up and dumps half the bacon and tots onto a plate that he takes back to his room.

//

When they’ve had their fill, Tobin grabs both her backpack and Christen’s and leads Christen up to her room.

She flops down on her bed, dropping both bags to the floor, and pats the space next to her for Christen to sit.

“So, um, how can I help?” Christen asks, reaching down to take out the math that she wanted to get done.

“Just keep me company, keep me on track? I dunno, motivate me?” Tobin gives her a look.

“What can I do that would motivate you?” Christen asks, a bit confused.

Tobin gets up and goes over to close the door. “Promise me a kiss? One for every step I finish?”

Christen cheeks burn but she nods her head in agreement, glad to know for sure that Tobin wants to kiss her again but nervous to do it.

Tobin sits back on the bed and pulls out her lab notebook and her laptop. She opens the lab report template and types her name and the title of the lab before sliding her computer off her lap and poking Christen’s thigh.

“I finished a step.”

“You did not.”

“Uh huh! See? I did two! My name and the title,” Tobin challenges.

“Well, I guess I can’t argue with that?” Christen caves.

Tobin turns so that she’s facing Christen. “So, I can have my kisses then?”

Christen nods and leans in.

The first one is short, a lot like to two in the hot tub. Christen pulls back to see a smile on Tobin’s face so she leans in again.

This time, Tobin puts her hand on Christen’s shoulder to hold her still and whispers against her lips, “If we don’t stop it, it counts as one. We didn’t specify the length.”

Even though that logic seems a little off, Christen doesn’t mind, so she leaves her lips pressed gently against Tobin’s, “Whatever motivates you is okay with me.”

//

Tobin’s family really is going skiing and Tobin really did _want_ to get her work done. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately if you were to ask her, she doesn’t get her lab report done before they go.

But it’s okay, she’d rather spend the afternoon kissing Christen anyway


	5. Like a date, I mean

As much as Tobin loves skiing, by the end of the day on Saturday, she’s ready to go home. She’s frustrated by her family; spending so many hours in a row in such close proximity means that’s inevitable. What surprises her though, is that she’s also annoyed by the incredibly spotty cell service on the mountain. She prides herself on being one of the few high schoolers she knows who can manage without her phone for long stretches of time. Or, well, she used to be. Because now that phone is the only connection between her and Christen who is sitting at home hundreds of miles away with nothing better to do than text Tobin while she watches trashy tv with her sisters.

By the time the weekend comes to an end, Tobin is counting down the minutes until she’s back at school so that she doesn’t have to deal with the pesky feeling of missing Christen anymore.

The car ride home is long and her dad puts on music that she doesn’t like so she puts on her headphones and tries to drown out the rest of the world hoping she’ll be left alone to daydream in peace. She thinks back to Valentine’s Day and how lucky she was that Christen wanted to kiss her too. She thinks about all the kissing they did at her house instead of doing homework. She thinks about what it’ll feel like the next time she kisses Christen. Her lips tingle at the thought when all of a sudden her heart drops in her chest. _What if she thinks I only want to hook up? What if she doesn’t know how much I like her?_

//

Before the car is even in park, Tobin is opening the door and running off to her room. The car ride ended up being valuable after all because now she has a plan.

When she finally makes it to her room, she’s a little bit out of breath from the exertion so she takes a second to calm down before she opens her computer and pulls up her school calendar. After double-checking that they don’t have any exams early next week that might interfere (which, lucky for her, they do not), Tobin gets to googling.

Half an hour later, she’s settled on the new fancy burger place she's been wanting to try. The food is supposed to be really good and the atmosphere seems like it’ll probably be fun on a Saturday night. Now all she has to do is work up the courage to actually ask Christen. She spends the rest of the evening writing and deleting text messages before finally throwing her phone across the room in frustration. She lays back on her pillows and looks up at the ceiling, praying that somehow the right thing to say will magically appear in her head.

She gets up to put on her pajamas when it hits her, she shouldn’t send a text. She should ask Christen at school tomorrow. With that decided, she finally feels settled. After feeling so frantic about the situation all evening, she’s exhausted and barely remembers to set her alarm before falling into a deep sleep.

//

Even though Tobin managed to set her alarm, she didn’t need to. A mixture of excitement and nerves have her awake before the sun and she climbs out of bed slowly figuring that she might as well use the extra time to her advantage. She’s so focused on trying to find something nice but also comfortable to wear that her mom ends up having to knock on the door to remind her to come down for breakfast, something she hasn’t had to do in years.

The ride to school goes by in a flash as the anticipation builds. Tobin rehearses in her head, mouthing the words to herself in an effort to prevent any stuttering. Katie leaves her alone, assuming, Tobin thinks, that she’s practicing for a presentation.

//

She gets to school with a few minutes to spare and grabs her stuff before making the trek over to Christen’s locker. Christen is standing there with a few of her friends that Tobin doesn’t really know very well so she stands a few feet away trying to decide if she should go through with her plan or wait until later.

Just as she’s about to give up and walk away, she feels someone poke her in the arm. When she looks up, Christen is looking back at her with light in her eyes and Tobin feels the nerves melt away.

“Hi.”

“Hi.”

“I missed you this weekend.”

“I missed you, too, Chris.” She wraps her arm around Christen’s shoulders and pulls her in for a hug.

“How was skiing? Was the snow good? Which trail was your favorite?”

Christen’s questions make Tobin smile but she has more important questions to ask so she just shrugs, “It was fine. Same as always. Actually, there’s - umm - something I wanted to ask you. Can we, maybe, like go in there for a second?” she points to the band room across the hall from Christen’s locker that sits unoccupied for the first period of the day and walks toward the door. Christen turns to shut her locker and then follows Tobin with a worried look on her face.

Before Tobin can say anything, Christen is off to the races, “Is everything okay? Did I do something wrong? Should I not have been texting you this weekend? I’m so sor-”

“Woah, Christen, chill!” Tobin puts her hands on Christen’s shoulders and shakes them until she finally takes a breath. “We’re good. I, uh, am hoping that you’ll, uh, like the question I have. So, maybe could you let me ask it?”

Christen looks a little embarrassed but closes her mouth and nods.

“Okay, here goes nothing. Christen, I really like you. As more than a friend. Which I guess you probably figured out based on the fact that we’ve kissed a couple times. And I just wanted you to know that, um, for me, this isn’t about kissing or hooking up or whatever. I just want to spend time with you. I don’t really care what we do, as long as you’re there. So, I was, uh, wondering if maybe you’d like to go out to dinner with me on Saturday? Like a date, I mean. But I guess we could go as friends if that’s what you want. Just, um-”

Then, suddenly, she finds that she can’t speak anymore because there are lips on hers. Christen is kissing her. Christen is _kissing_ her. The relief that fills her feels almost (but also not even close) as good as the kiss. Christen is kissing her and it’s distracting. It’s a relatively chaste kiss, they are at school after all, but Christen is kissing her and she can’t think, let alone breathe.

When Christen pulls back, Tobin’s chest is heaving and her mind is fuzzy but a sense of panic starts to seep in.

Christen can tell that something is going on in her head so she grabs her hand and laces their fingers together which gets her attention, “Tobin, stop over thinking. I’d love to.”

Tobin thinks she understands what Christen means but she has to be sure, “You’d love to what?”

“Go to dinner with you on Saturday, silly. On a date. Can I be honest with you?” Tobin nods furiously, “I was hoping you’d ask me because I spent all weekend trying to ask you and every time I was about to I chickened out.”

Tobin lets the words sink in. Christen wants to go out with her. On a date. _Cool_. “Well, good thing you have me, then. Isn’t it?” Her confidence comes back in full force.

“Guess so,” Christen laughs and then leans back in to kiss Tobin again. “It really is.”


	6. French Fries and Something Else

Tobin is on cloud-nine the entire rest of the day. It’s only Monday which means she has to wait the whole rest of the week for their date to actually happen. But it is going to happen - which is just about the coolest thing ever - so she doesn’t mind the wait.

Surprisingly for Tobin, the week passes quickly. She and Christen find each other between classes and sit together at lunch, alternating whose friends they sit with. They facetime while they do their homework and text each other _good night_ before bed.

Tobin’s phone never leaves her hand for more than a few minutes. She notices her mom almost say something to her about it a couple of times but she gives her a look that says _please don’t ask - at least not yet_ and, thankfully, her mom lets it go.

//

Saturday finally arrives and by lunchtime Tobin’s parents have had it with her restless energy. She’s making the whole table shake with the force of her bouncing knee and they tell her she can either knock it off or excuse herself. She stuffs as much food in her mouth as she can and then clears her place to avoid getting in trouble.

She runs up to her room and tries to think of something to occupy her time but keeps getting distracted by thoughts of the date she’ll be on in a matter of hours. Her parents laugh to themselves as they hear her pacing back and forth across the floor.

It’s already late in the afternoon when Tobin’s mom knocks on her door, “Sweetie, do you have a minute?”

“Uh, yeah, sure mom. What’s up?”

“Are you okay? You seem a little worked up about something?”

Tobin stops pacing for a moment, trying to decide if she wants to tell her parents she’s going on a date. They know she’s gay and they’ve been really supportive but Katie and Perry both weren’t allowed to date until their junior year of high school and given that she’s still a sophomore she thinks it’s pretty unlikely that her mom will let her go.

“I’m good, just thinking about all the stuff I have to do the rest of the weekend.”

Tobin’s mom sits down on the corner of her bed and pats the stop next to her. She waits until Tobin sits down before she asks, “So, what is it exactly that you have to do this weekend?”

“Oh, uh, nothing really. Just stuff for school, I guess?” She looks up at her mom and realizes that she isn’t buying it at all so she continues, “And, I’m getting dinner with Christen tonight. So I guess I’m just excited for that maybe?”

“Christen, like Christen from your soccer team?”

Tobin’s cheeks burn because she knows her mom can see right through her, “Yeah, that’s the one.”

“Oh, honey,” she pats Tobin on the knee, “then what’s got you so bent out of shape?”

Finally, the embarrassment gets the better of her and Tobin gets up from the bed and walks over to her closet so she doesn’t have to face her, “Nothing mom, can you please just leave me alone?”

“Tobin Powell, you watch that tone, especially if you want to use the car later.”

Her shoulders sink, “Sorry mom. I promise it’s nothing. Just please, can I have a few minutes? And then I’ll come down and hang out until I have to go get Christen?”

“Okay, you know, as your mom, it’s my job to worry about you, right honey?”

“I know, mom.” She hears the door shut softly and then flops down on the bed face first and groans into the pillow. She peaks at her phone and sees that it’s already after 5.

//

After rushing to get ready and sucking up to her mom with an apology, she finally gets in the car and backs out of the drive way. Then she remembers she has to tell Christen that she’s coming so she pulls over in front of her neighbors’ house to text her.

[Tobin]: _omw will you be ready in 10?_

[Christen]: _Yes! Can’t wait!_

[Tobin]: _:) :) :)_

Christen is waiting outside for her when she pulls up and the butterflies in her stomach flutter when she sees her bundled up in a hat and scarf and puffy winter coat even though Tobin doesn’t think it’s _that_ cold out.

She rolls down the window and calls out, “Ready?”

“Ready, Freddie!” Christen bounds down the walkway and pulls open the door to Tobin’s car enthusiastically. “So, Toby, where are we headed?”

“Ugh, Chris, do you really have to call me that?”

Christen laughs, “I think it’s cute. And stop stalling, where are we going?”

Tobin, feeling bashful, is grateful that she’s the one driving so she doesn’t have to make eye-contact, “We’re going to this new burger place that I think you’ll like, at least I hope so.”

Christen reaches over to put her hand on Tobin’s thigh, “I’m sure I’ll love it. Thanks again for asking me, I’m glad we get to spend time together outside of school and soccer.”

“Me too,” they pull up to a stop sign and Tobin’s cheeks flush as she turns to smile at Christen.

//

The restaurant is clearly new because it has exposed brick and duct-work and the furniture looks uncomfortable with lots of sharp angles. Tobin starts to second-guess her decision when Christen grabs her arm.

“Oh my god, Tobin, they have six different kinds of fries! This is the best!”

Tobin let’s out a sigh of relief as they get online to order, “Do you wanna get a couple different kinds and share them maybe?”

Christen clasps her hands together, glee written across her face, “Yes! Can we please?”

//

After they order, Tobin grabs their buzzer from the cashier and they head to an open table in the back corner of the restaurant. They sit down and Tobin fiddles with her fingers under the table, nervous that they won’t have anything to talk about. “So, uh,” she fumbles for something to say, “I didn’t know you were, uh, so into French fries?”

“Seriously, Tobin, they’re my favorite food. Like I would eat them for all three meals a day plus a snack if I could.”

“I don’t think coach would like that very much,” Tobin laughs.

“Neither would my stomach. But I don’t care, they’re _so_ good.”

Not wanting the conversation to die, Tobin asks, “Well, then, what’s the best French fry you’ve ever had?”

Christen’s smile spreads wide across her face, “Oof, that’s a tough question. I guess it depends on the type. Like sometimes I just want regular shoestring fries and I really like the ones at the diner near my grandma’s in Maryland. But my favorite curly fries, which are good for a snack as opposed to a side because they’re seasoned, are from this place on the boardwalk in New Jersey. And then there’s steak fries, which I personally think are the most difficult to find good ones because they’re so big they’re usually bland. And, like, the first rule of good fries is that they have to be salty. Like, one time I went to this place in Cleveland with my family and they didn’t salt the fries, you had to do it yourself at the table, and it was so bad because by the time you salt the fries on the bottom of the pile they’re not hot enough for the salt to really stick.”

She continues on about the different ways they can be cooked and the merits of each method. Tobin doesn’t really understand how or why Christen has such a specific opinion about fries because to her they’re all just food but Christen’s eyes are alight with passion and her enthusiasm is contagious and Tobin can’t help but let her mind wander a little bit, _She’s so pretty. And she seems so happy. And it’s at least a little bit because of me. _

Christen’s still talking when their food arrives but Tobin catches her eye and Christen finally pauses at the look of adoration in her eyes, “What?”

“Nothing, you’re just, um, really cute, I guess, when you get all passionate?” Tobin stuffs a couple of fries in her mouth to keep herself from rambling.

Christen’s cheeks blush but it feels so good to know that Tobin likes her especially because she likes her so much too. “Well,” she swallows a sip of the milkshake they decided to share, “I kinda think you’re really cute all the time.”

//

The rest of the date goes really well. Before they know it, their food is long gone and the crowd at the restaurant has thinned out considerably.

“Are you ready to go?” Tobin asks as she pushes her chair back from the table.

Christen nods and stands up as she pulls her jacket on. They head toward the door and Tobin is swinging her arms at her side. Christen takes the opportunity to link her fingers with Tobin’s and the bashful smile Tobin throws her way confirms that it was a good idea.

Tobin takes the long way back to Christen’s house, not wanting the night to end. When she pulls into the bottom of her driveway, Christen is quick to unclick her seatbelt and turns to face Tobin.

“Thanks for taking me to dinner,” she leans in with her eyes closed and puckers her lips, hoping that Tobin will get the hint.

It works and before she can open her eyes again Tobin’s lips are on hers. It’s a short kiss but she doesn’t let Tobin pull back too far. She leans in for another kiss and soon Tobin’s fingers are winding their way through her hair.

Before they know it, the windows of the car are starting to fog up and Tobin realizes that they’ve been sitting in the driveway for way too long.

“Uh, Chris, I think it’s time to say goodnight,” Tobin mumbles reluctantly.

Christen pouts and it’s so cute that Tobin almost has to reconsider, “You’re probably right. I’ll see you on Monday.”

“See you on Monday,” Tobin nods.

Christen climbs out of the car but just as she’s about to close the door Tobin calls out, “Actually, do you think we could facetime tomorrow? When I get home from church?”

“Oh, uh, yeah, I’d love that,” Christen’s smile is as big as ever. “G’night, Tobin!”

“Night, Chris!”

//

Tobin waits until Christen is inside to pull away and as soon as her lights are gone from the driveway, Christen’s sisters bound down the stairs.

“Christen! What the hell was that? Who was that? Since when do you get home late and sit in some guy’s car making out for like 20 minutes?” Tyler blurts out as soon as Christen comes into view.

“Jeez, Ty, no need to be so aggressive about it,” Channing counters. “So, Chris, care to explain yourself?”

Christen’s eyes are wide in shock, not really sure what to say.

“C’mon, Chris, you have to tell us,” Tyler implores, bouncing on the balls of her feet in anticipation.

Christen takes a deep breath, “I, uh, went on a date. With Tobin. A girl. From my soccer team.”

“I told you it was her!” Tyler pokes Channing in the side.

“Then why did you say ‘some guy’?” Christen asks, confused.

Tyler rolls her eyes, “Channing here told me not to assume.”

“Oh,” is all Christen can reply before they burst into laughter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come talk to me about fries, I have lots of thoughts and feelings.


	7. Popcorn

“Tobin, honey, why don’t you and Christen watch that movie in the family room instead of down in the basement?”

Tobin turns around from the top of the stairs, bewilderment painted on her face, to look at her mom. “What, why?” she scoffs, making her confusion known, “The couch in the basement is so much comfier! Plus, last time she came over, we hung out in the basement.”

Her mom gives her a look that says _it’s really not in your best interest to test me right now_ but Tobin really wants the privacy afforded by the basement so she continues to protest, “C’mon, mom, I’m not a baby, I don’t understand why I need supervision to watch a movie with a friend?”

Her mom’s expression softens as speaks, “Tobin, sweetie, I know Christen isn’t just your friend. She’s a very sweet girl but last time you both were in the basement, your other teammates were there too. And you know I wouldn’t let Katie or Perry down there with a boy so unless you want to break up with her, I’m going to ask one more time that you watch up here.”

At a loss for words, Tobin opens her mouth and then closes it again, trying to think of something to say.

“C’m’ere, sweetie,” her mom pulls her into a hug, “I’m happy you’re seeing Christen, I like her a lot. And I want you to know you can talk to me about it if you want to,” she trails off, sensing Tobin’s embarrassment.

“Thanks, mom,” Tobin mumbles as the red of her cheeks deepens, “good to, uh, good to know.”

Her mom smiles and the embarrassment fades a little bit as her mom nudges her toward the basement door, “Alright, go get Christen and get yourselves situated up here, I’ll make you some popcorn since I’m feeling generous.”

Tobin hugs her mom’s waist tightly before running off to get her.

//

It ends up being nice, or at least nicer than Tobin expected, watching in the family room. They share the bowl of popcorn that Tobin’s mom unceremoniously plopped down between them on the couch and, when they’ve had their fill, Tobin moves the bowl to the coffee table and sticks her toes under Christen’s thigh under the guise of keeping them warm even though they’re both already under a blanket.

Even though Christen had warned that she’s really picky when it comes to movies, Tobin thinks she must have made a good choice because every few minutes, Christen tilts her head back with laughter. Tobin knows she should be watching, or at least trying a little bit harder to pretend that she’s paying attention, but Christen is way too captivating for that.

About halfway through, Christen catches her staring for the third time and reaches out to grab the remote off of the coffee table so that she can pause the movie. “What?” she asks with a glint in her eyes and a teasing lilt in her voice.

Tobin’s cheeks are quick to redden again as she fumbles for an excuse. Drawing a blank, she decides to just be honest and see what happens, “Uh, nothing, I guess? You’re just really pretty and it’s kinda distracting?”

Christen’s cheeks flush to match Tobin’s and she ducks her head down to hide how flustered she is, “You’re just saying that. Tell me for real, is there, like, a piece of popcorn stuck to my face or something?”

Laughter bubbles up from deep within Tobin’s chest and she grabs Christen’s hand to get her attention, “Christen, I swear I’m not lying, you’re honestly the prettiest girl in our grade, probably in the whole school. Your face is way better than any movie.”

“Really?” Christen peers up at Tobin through her eyelashes.

“I swear,” Tobin’s tone earnest and her eyes pleading for Christen to understand.

A bright smile spreads across Christen’s blushed cheeks and she sits up straighter so that she can face Tobin, “I, um,” she bites her lip, “I think you’re really pretty too.”

Tobin’s face melts into a toothy grin and she laughs again before reaching over to grab the remote out of Christen’s other hand, “Before I press play, did I miss anything important?”

Christen shakes her head and Tobin resumes the movie, still holding Christen’s hand resting on the couch between them.

//

After her confession, Tobin does actually try to pay attention but she ends up falling asleep and Christen can’t bring herself to wake her up. When the credits start rolling, Christen takes the remote back from Tobin and turns off the tv and then grabs her phone off the coffee table.

After almost 20 minutes of scrolling, Tobin is still snoring softly so Christen pulls her hand out from under Tobin’s and uses it to gently squeeze Tobin’s knee, “Tobin?”

She pauses but Tobin still doesn’t stir so she tries again, “Tobin? It’s getting kinda late, I need you to wake up so you can drive me home.”

“Nooooo,” Tobin groans and squeezes her eyes shut.

“Tobin, please?” Christen pleads and Tobin begrudgingly opens one eye to look at her.

When she sees Christen’s face, she can’t keep up the charade any longer and she stretches her arms above her head, letting out a big yawn, and then jumps to her feet. “Alright Chris, let’s go,” she says through another yawn and heads toward the front door.

//

Christen starts to open the car door before turning back to Tobin, “I had a lot of fun tonight, thanks for having me over. And for driving me home.”

“Yea, of course, Chris. Anytime. I’m always happy to spend time with you. I know I’ve told you this before but, uh, I really like you. And I know we went on that date, and obviously we hang out a lot. Do you, um, do you think maybe you’d want to be, like my girlfriend or something?” Tobin looks down at her lap and runs her fingers through her hair, trying to keep her cool.

“Wait, really? You mean that?”

“Of course I do! I wouldn’t ask you if I didn’t! What’s with you and not believing me today?”

Christen shakes her head in awe, “It’s not that I don’t believe you. It’s just that it’s kinda crazy. Like, a few weeks ago I had such a big crush on you and I didn’t even know you really cared about being friends with me or anything. Like I kinda just thought we were just teammates? And now we both really like each other and I get to be your girlfriend? Which means you’re also gonna be my girlfriend? And it’s, like, too good to be true or something…” Christen trails off when she realizes she’s been rambling.

Tobin looks at her for a second and shakes her head at how pretty Christen is even under the yellow tint of the street light, “Wait, you had a crush on me? That’s so lame,” she teases.

“Oh hush, you,” Christen laughs and then opens the car door again. “G’night, Tobin. I lo-, I’ll, uh, see you tomorrow?”

Tobin, stunned at what she thinks she heard Christen almost say, just nods until the door is almost closed behind Christen before she calls out, “Night, Chris, I’ll call you when I get up!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully getting this done means I'm back in the writing grove so fingers crossed!


	8. Beep Tests and Best Friends

“YO!” Tobin hears just as something, or rather someone, thuds into her back, nearly knocking her to the ground.

“Jeez, Kel, what was that for?” Tobin asks as she stretches her arms above her head to loosen her muscles from the blow.

“Just saying hi,” Kelley laughs, “since I haven’t seen you at practice for like, a whole month.”

Tobin rolls her eyes and shakes her head at her incredibly annoying best friend, “I feel like that’d be a better excuse if we hadn’t seen each other at school almost every single day since then and also not played pick up in the park with our brothers literally yesterday.”

“Oh, whatever, you’re just boring now that Cap’s tied you down,” Kelley teases and it takes all of Tobin’s restraint not to shove her back (which she knows is  _ exactly _ what Kelley wants). But before she’s even given the chance, Coach blows his whistle and signals for them to start jogging.

Tobin hangs back for a second and ties her cleats again, knowing that Christen would be at the back of the pack for their warmups. She always used to be at the front with Alex and Kelley but now that she and Christen are  _ girlfriends _ , she wants to run with her.

“What are you doing back here with me, Toby? Shouldn’t you be up front with Alex and Kel?” Christen asks, and Tobin can tell that she’s teasing by how hard she’s trying to keep a straight face.

She just shrugs in response and offers a weak, “I think they’ll be fine without me,” which serves its purpose of making Christen giggle.

//

Though they all knew it was coming, none of the girls enjoy their fitness-focused first practice back.

The coach sets up four different stations for sprinting and none of them touch a ball until practice is more than half over. After a shooting drill that is clearly designed to test the goalies stamina more than assess the accuracy of the shooting, Coach blows his whistle again and sends them into the gym to line up for the beep test.

They all groan as they kick off their cleats and change into their sneakers, knowing that it’s going to end up the same way it always does, Kelley, Alex, Tobin, and Christen as the final four with Alex and Christen giving up together and Tobin trying to beat Kelley until she’s legitimately on the verge of passing out.

And somehow, after all of that, Kelley will still manage to have the energy to gloat about it.

The first few rounds aren’t so bad but by 10 minutes in, more than half the team is out and those left are starting to look haggard.

A few minutes later, Tobin drags herself off to the side and flops down next to Christen as Kelley dances around, pumping her fists in the air.

“I hate her,” Tobin grumbles to Christen through her heaving breaths.

“No, you don’t,” Christen laughs, “unfortunately, she’s your best friend which means it’s pretty much your job to put up with her.” She pats Tobin’s thigh and then wipes her hand on her own shorts which doesn’t do much good because they’re all soaking with sweat.

“I guess,” Tobin whines, “I just want to win once. She’s like a machine or something.”

“I think your desire to win is what fuels her. Next time, just don’t care and maybe you’ll be victorious.”

It’s at that exact moment that Kelley finally seems to lose steam and she falls to the ground dramatically, shouting at someone to bring her her water bottle.

All of a sudden, Tobin leaps up and grabs the bottle, an evil glint in her eye. She offers the bottle out to Kelley but before she can grab it, Tobin squeezes as hard as she can and half of what was left sprays Kelley right in the face.

Tobin bends over in laughter and the rest of the team joins her, but not before Kelley could retaliate, choosing to soak Tobin instead of quench her thirst.

On the verge of a water fight, Coach smartly whistles them back in for final huddle and reminds them all to put some ice in their baths when they get home.

//

A few hours later, Tobin is propped up in bed, trying, and failing, to do homework. She glances at the alarm clock on her nightstand and sees that it’s only 4:30 so she gives Christen a call.

“Hey, how ya feeling?” Christen answers after the first ring.

Tobin sighs in lieu of a response and Christen hums in agreement.

“I sat in an ice bath for 20 minutes and my legs still feel like lead, I hope Kelley is suffering,” Tobin whines.

“How ‘bout I take your mind off it? Wanna watch a movie together or something?” Christen offers, knowing that throwing themselves a pity party won’t do anyone any good.

Tobin agrees and pulls up her Netflix account and then sets up the screen-sharing function so that it’ll show up on Christen’s computer too.

They decide on Hot Pursuit, laughing so hard at the idea of Reese Witherspoon as a cop that they manage to forget about their achy muscles.

Just as the credits start to roll, Tobin’s mom shouts up the stairs that it’s time for dinner.

“I gotta go,” Tobin says over the phone, “but thanks for always knowing how to make me feel better. You’re the best.”

“Anything for you, Toby.”

“Ugh, I take it back! You’re the worst!”

Christen’s laugh filters through the phone, “I’m hurt, Tobin. And I’m sure Kelley would be too if she discovered I’d stolen her title!”

Tobin hears her mom shout again, “Okay, I really actually have to go, call you later?”

“Sure, Tobes, have a good dinner.”

“Thanks! You too, Chris. Bye!” And with that, she thunders down the stairs toward food.


End file.
